Middle Corridor Leaders' Summit to be held in Bulgaria in H1 of 2027 – EXCLUSIVE

The European Union and Bulgaria will hold the first leaders' summit on regional connectivity in the first half of 2027, bringing together various streams of EU work to develop the Middle Corridor between Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Europe, Official Representative of the European Commission Guillaume Mercier told Report.

This will be the first connectivity event in such a format, designed to provide the project with necessary high-level political support, Mercier said.

"The leaders' summit will secure the high-level political buy-in that the Middle Corridor requires. It will build on the work carried out under the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and the Connectivity Platforms. Given its strategic location in the region, Bulgaria will host the very first Summit at leaders' level, with the goal of gathering relevant partners around the table," Mercier said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the Regional Connectivity Summit alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev during her State of the Union address in the European Parliament on September 16.

The EC views the initiative not as the launch of a completely new policy direction, but as a consolidation of work already underway across different parts of the region.

"Through this initiative, the goal is to further integrate the work happening at regional level (in Central Asia, South Caucasus and the Black Sea region) for greater synergies and impact," Mercier said.

This will be based on work already being carried out within the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and transport connectivity platforms, he added.

Up to €12 billion in investments

Von der Leyen presented the Middle Corridor as a new international project of the EU aimed at linking the South Caucasus and Central Asia directly with the European market.

Through the Global Gateway investment strategy, the European Union intends to mobilize up to €12 billion in public and private investments to develop this route.

"Our goal is to diversify routes, triple trade flows, and reduce cargo transit times by 2030," von der Leyen stated.

Mercier recalled that the Middle Corridor is designed to connect Central Asia across the Caspian Sea to the South Caucasus, and then provide access to the European market via Türkiye and the Black Sea.

According to European Commission estimates, the development of the route should provide a more reliable and competitive path for trade, speed up logistics, improve digital links, and promote innovation, job creation, and supply chain diversification. The EU also links the route's development to strengthening energy security.

"This is truly a win-win project - and that is exactly what Global Gateway is all about," Mercier said.

Transport, digital infrastructure, and regulation

According to Mercier, Brussels intends to coordinate investments, primarily in transport infrastructure, with regulatory cooperation to make trade routes faster, more efficient, and more sustainable.

Special attention will be paid to digital connectivity.

"In particular, expanding digital connectivity in line with the highest international standards is essential for the efficient functioning of the trade routes and the inclusive and sustainable development of economies and societies," he said.

According to Mercier, in cooperation with financial institutions and European companies, the EU is ready to offer its expertise and solutions for the implementation of this project, which will open new opportunities for European industry in this rapidly developing region.

Thus, Brussels now defines the Middle Corridor not only as a transport route, but as a broader initiative to develop infrastructure, digital, and trade connectivity between the EU, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia, with the first leaders' summit in Bulgaria in the first half of 2027.